Wireless Interference: Measurements, Common Problems, & Solutions

Finding interference, making the measurement and interpreting the results, are key to successful RF interference hunting. Finding offending signals takes time, patience, and knowledge. It is important to use the right measurement tools to get fast and accurate results. And in many cases, identifying and resolving an interference problem, can have both a technical and political component to it.

In this webinar, we will be discussing the measurement of radio signals, interference issues, wireless receiver sensitivity and data quality (DAQ and BER). In addition, we will address the problem of passive inter-modulation which is a big problem in today’s wireless world.

We will focus on the use of measurement tools including the PR100 Monitoring Receiver and spectrum displays. We will also display examples of common interference issues including, adjacent channel and co-channel interference, radio jamming, inter-modulation and harmonics.

Interference – Common Problems

The top five interference issues
Noise floors
Co-channel
Adjacent channel
Intermodulation – PIM
Harmonics
Signal Quality – BER & DAQ
Interference Tools

Monitoring Receivers – PR100
Spectrum Analyzers
Directional antennas
Triangulation
Getting Results

Safety & making connections
Setting the display
Measurement of signals
Bandwidth – Span – Resolution
Result Interpretation Examples

High signal levels & noise
Co-channel & adjacent channels
Intermodulation
Harmonics – high power
Jamming – intentional
Recording & Reporting

What to record
Using Monitoring Receivers & Spectrum Analyzers
Proving the point

Presenter
Thomas K. Dover
President, DTS Inc

Tom Dover has spent an entire career managing, maintaining and teaching telecommunication networks. His experience includes telecommunication technology fundamentals, specialty equipment and safety programs for utility companies, government agencies and private organizations.

Tom is a graduate of the University of Utah, and holds an FCC General Class license. He has delivered training at over 300 sites nationwide, authored over 20 technical and non-technical live and on-line courses for all faces of the telecommunication and wireless industries. Tom is an authorized OSHA Outreach Instructor for the Construction industries. He has worked with training partners and equipment vendors to provide certification training for subjects such as Antenna Line Sweep, Passive Intermodulation, and Fiber to the Antenna including Distributed Antenna Systems. Over 2000 students have been PIM certified via DTS and our training partners.

Tom is the President of DTS, Inc a Utah based training company, focusing on teaching telecommunication professionals and integrators who install, test and maintain wireless networks in a safe and efficient manner.